a world of café stories

Só Peso, Luanda

By KENNY MAH and CK LIM

The truth of the matter is, I have to confess, this is not my first cup of coffee in Luanda.

Last weekend when I first visited this shopping mall in the Angolan capital, I had tried the cappuccino at another café. The taste and aroma of that cup reminded me of São Paulo.

Besides a few popular specialty coffee bars, I recall that we also visited a bakery cum dessert café in Liberdade. The cappuccino we had there was not unlike my first coffee in Luanda — there was no real coffee aroma or taste, and oh dear, all that cinnamon sprinkled over the already-very-sweet cuppa!

Be it the texture of the foam or the temperature, neither was a decent cup, unfortunately.

Therefore, after last week’s disappointment, I decide to be wary at order an espresso at Só Peso. This ought to be a very safe cup. At most, it might be little over-roasted, but at least it will not be sweet. And of course, with an espresso, I don’t have to worry about whether the milk is foamed properly or not — there is none.

I take my first sip gingerly and discover the taste is far better than I imagined. There is no burnt aroma and the body is quite light. Though the flavour isn’t particularly special nor the crema beautiful, but for me, this is already a very pleasant surprise. Dare I say, a delightful cup?

Perhaps I am really overjoyed, for I can even detect a vague hint of almonds. This cup, this black brew, is a dream come true, at last!

ooo, nice, nice … the kiosk looks like it’s in a bright and cheerful area (also looks quite safe, heheh), and the pastries look well-made also. hope it’s not too expensive, so you can come back here regularly 🙂